Learning to Fly
by GhoastStories
Summary: A surprise villain attack during first semester finals leaves Todoroki and Midoriya stranded in a parallel universe. Unsure of how to return to their own world, the two must travel through the twisted version of their reality trying to find a way to go back. Emotions are high as they fight to survive, to face their demons, and work through the growing feelings between them.
1. Chapter 1

The day everyone returned to the UA campus after internships was a frenzy of chatter. Todoroki sat in his usual seat, watching idly as his classmates shared their experiences. He saw Midoriya and Iida surrounded by a small circle of students excited to hear about their runin with the hero killer. Questions and statements were spewing from them like rapid fire only to met by vague responses that only the three of them really understood.

Todoroki glanced outside, the memories coming back to him easily, just as they had each time he had allowed himself to get distracted in the past few days. The ending of his internship had not been a pleasant one. Despite the surge in fame his father received from allegedly capturing the hero killer, Endeavor was not pleased, and was quick to take it out on the son who actually had. For all of his father's faults, he believed wholeheartedly in deserving what he received. It was a notion that Todoroki had been instilled with, and perhaps the only sympathizing point that he felt towards a certain hothead in the class.

"Hey, Todoroki man! You were there too right? Ah man! It must have been so awesome to know that you're father caught that guy!" Kirishima.. He meant well, but the words still caused a bitterness to swell inside of Todoroki, and the gaze that met the redhead was sharp.

"Yeah." If Kirishima was affected by, or even noticed, the daggers being glared at him it didn't show, the ever present cheer not fading from him. Todoroki didn't miss the worried glance from Midoriya though, and chose to turn his attention back out the window in hopes of avoiding any more of them. He understood the green haired teens concern, appreciated it even, but it wasn't something he could handle right then. He had enough on his mind.

Class began, and ended, without much excitement releasing the students for the day to go prepare for their finals. Another event that inspired a frenzy of chatter amongst his classmates as everyone spent the next few days of preparation trying to figure out how best to pass. It was concluded that as in the many past years, robots were likely used just like the entrance exam, a fact which Todoroki was both grateful and disappointed by. If that was to be the case then it made everything easy, too easy, especially after everything he had faced in that single semester alone.

Todoroki attempted to keep up with the conversations in class, and at lunch. He was grateful for his newfound friendship with Midoriya and Iida which grounded him into the present moment, but he still found himself easily distracted.

Ever since taking the internship at his father's agency, he felt as if everything he did was one step forward, and two steps back. He had come to accept using the advantages his father had given him, but the satisfaction his father displayed over it was like slap in the face. He tried to remind himself of his motivations; be a hero, save mom, but staring up at the face of the man he hated most, smirking down at him with the same flames that burned inside of them both, it chipped away at his resolve and left him conflicted. Todoroki knew what he wanted, and he knew why he wanted it, he just wished that it didn't mean giving his father exactly what he wanted.

In an attempt to clear his mind before heading home Todoroki found himself in a hilly area towards the edge of the academy grounds, staring down without much thought about what time it was. Words and faces shifted behind his eyelids, clenching his heart and his hands as he struggled to cope.

'_I want to be just like him...in order to do that I have to be strong enough to be number one.. I know my motivation might seem stupid compared to yours…'*_

_You're wrong Midoriya, our motivations aren't so different at all. _Todoroki startled as he heard footsteps coming up behind him, his heart slamming into his chest and he cursed himself for being so distracted that he allowed himself to be snuck up on. No one had been able to get the jump on him in years… he was typically too on guard, constantly prepared for an attack, borderline paranoid even after all the years of surprise training and impromptu rages.

He relaxed slightly when he saw who it was though, giving a curt nod in greeting as Midoriya sat down to his left. Todoroki was surprised to see how late it had gotten. The sun was already receding beneath the horizon, warm colors shooting across the sky in it's last efforts to cling to it.

"What are you doing here?" Todoroki asked as Midoriya settled down beside him, curling his legs to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

"O-oh! I was just having a conversation with All Might, that's all!" Midoriya gave Todoroki an awkward smile but Todoroki just gave a hum of acceptance. He already knew there was something odd going on between the two of them, and he had already decided not to push for any more information. Not everything that went on in someone's life was everyone's business, he knew that better than most. "Actually…" Midoriya continued, and Todoroki turned to look at him more clearly, focusing his gaze on the smaller teen, which seemed to make Midoriya more nervous, his green eyes focused on the ground in front of him. "He's the one who told me you were out here."

"Oh." That made sense. It would have been suspicious if Midoriya had somehow found him out here by himself, when he was nowhere near anywhere that the smaller teen needed to be.

They sat in silence for a minute, neither knowing quite what to say though Todoroki didn't feel pressured to fill the silence. He rarely did. He chose instead to study Midoriya, feeling the familiar pang of guilt whenever he saw the scarring on the other's right hand.

"Are you alright Todoroki? I mean..you obviously don't have to tell me but...you've seemed distant lately. Well, more than usual I mean. Not that its a bad thing! I just mean..um, I'm sorry." Todoroki raised an eyebrow at the mumbling, Midoriya cutting himself off with a nervous laugh. A small smile tugged at Todoroki's lips, amusement and something warm spreading in his chest. He had never known anyone else to be so prone to rambling. He was used to scripts, and carefully chosen words for the press. It was a relief in a way for someone to be so entirely not in control.

"I'll be fine Midoriya. I just have a lot on my mind." This didn't seem to quell the other's concern any, the same worried eyes turning on him that he had felt like a weight on his shoulders for days. Somehow no matter how good his act, how perfect his wall, this boy seemed to see straight through him and it was as disconcerting as it was exciting. "I should thank you again though." Todoroki looked away then, memories once again tugging at his conscious mind. '_It's your quirk! Not his!'*. _

"Huh? For what?" In other circumstances Todoroki would have been amused by the honest confusion in the other's tone. No matter how meddlesome Midoriya could be, he still didn't see how much help he actually was to everyone around him.

"After the Sports Festival, I went to see my mother for the first time since I was a child. All that time I was avoiding her, because I thought it would be best if she never had to see my face. I thought...that I was providing her some sort of mercy after everything she had been through. That was selfish of me though. The truth is, I just didn't want to accept that all this time she has been wasting away because of me...and my father. You reminded me Midoriya, of something I had forgotten a long time ago. For the first time I forgot all about my father and the things he wanted from me, and seeing my mom again after all of these years only made me more sure.

I want to be a hero. Not because of what my father wants, not because of what I was made to achieve, but because it is my dream. I want to save people, I want to save her. So, that's what I am going to do, if it is the absolute last thing I do, and I will do it for myself. You reminded me of what I forgot, so thank you." Todoroki's left hand was curled into a fist, heterochromatic eyes trained on it as it lit ablaze, flames dancing in his eyes as they stared with determination. It was the first time Midoriya had looked at Todoroki and thought that his dual nature went deeper than his appearance and quirk. It was always apparent to anyone who looked that there was a large wall of ice between Todoroki and the world, that even his heart seemed to have been frozen in his chest. Yet now, Midoriya saw that there was passion burning deep inside the other teen, and it was inspiring.

When Todoroki doused the flame, and looked over at Midoriya again he was filled with an unusual feeling of anxiety. He was more than aware of how embarrassing his whole speech had just been, and suddenly wished he could just reign it all back into his thoughts where it had been before.

It didn't help that when his eyes finally reached Midoriya's, the green-haired teen was staring up at him with wide eyes and a dominating smile.

"What?" _Shit, why does he have to wear his heart on his sleeve like that? _Todoroki's hands clenched into fists again, willing himself to maintain control against his stuttering heartbeat.

"Oh...just, you're amazing Todoroki!" Midoriya had the sense to feel bashful under the piercing gaze, glancing away before looking back again, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Despite everything you've gone through, you're still fighting to do what is right! It's a real testament to how strong you are! And I don't mean physically...although you're that too of course but.." Midoriya was stopped by a chuckle so soft he almost convinced himself he hadn't heard it at all.

Todoroki was staring down the grassy hill in front of them, a soft blush dusted across his cheeks and he was grateful for the growing darkness that would hide most of it. He rested his head on his knee, and tried to focus on cooling his face.

"It's not really like that…" Midoriya blinked at Todoroki in confusion, and he sighed before continuing. "I was raised to be a pro hero, and no matter what my asshole father did to get me there, it still involved raising me to believe in protecting people."

"Sure but…" There was a moment of prolonged silence, Midoriya picking at the grass beneath them, and Todoroki turned his face to look at the smaller teen, watching the wheels turn in his head as he considered what he wanted to say. "What Stain was saying, about false heroes being about the money and glory...I think if anyone had a reasonable excuse to believe in something like that, it would be you. Heroes are meant to protect people, but your father...he didn't really protect you." _He just protected his investment_, the words hung heavy and unspoken in the air between them.

Todoroki opened his mouth to respond, to possibly even deny it, but Midoriya would never know what he was going to say because right at that moment a teacher walked over to them, lecturing them about staying on campus without explicit permission and essentially escorting them out. They gave a quick nod of goodbye to one another before setting off in opposite directions. Todoroki sighed and looked up at the sky above him those last words echoing in his mind, clenching down on his heart like a noose. Just one more thing to add to the growing of inner dialogue.

* * *

When finals turned out not to be what they had come to expect Todoroki accepted the challenge with both excitement, and disappointment. He was grateful for Momo, who he knew to be both cunning and capable. As he glanced over at Midoriya, watching the smaller teen stare after Bakago, he knew he could have gotten off much, much worse. He had gotten off lucky in their partnership, but it was not going to be easy going up against their homeroom teacher. He knew why they had been partnered against Aizawa, Stain's words echoing in his mind. '_Has anyone ever told you? Relying too heavily on your quirk makes you sloppy.'* _

He was resting off to the side, using the quiet of the outdoors to calm his nerves and focus his mind. He needed to have a good strategy in place if they were going to pass this exam. Yaoyorozu was relying on him. He looked up at the sky with unseeing eyes, going over every angle of the battle. He had just about settled on a plan when a loud explosion tore him from his thoughts.

He frowned, looking over to see smoke rising steadily into the air and he stood. Part of him thought that maybe Bakugo was just going after Midoriya for trying to talk strategy. So, it wasn't until he got closer, and noticed the strangers on the university grounds that he began running forward.

There were six or seven villains spread out around the grounds. Todoroki looked around for the teachers they were meant to be battling, but found the area to be mostly void of people. Everyone had already begun getting ready for their finals… He turned his attention back to the villains, his lips pressed together in a tense frown. These weren't like the ones who had attacked the USJ. It looked like the League of Villains changed tactics…

The villains were all spreading outwards, a heavy fog rolling over them making it difficult to see. Some off in the distance were making a show of themselves, distracting the teachers who were rushing to the scene.

Todoroki didn't bother looking at any of those though, his eyes trained one particular villain. He wasn't moving, wasn't doing anything more than standing in the center of the chaos looking perfectly at peace. He was tall, with long black hair tied back into a braid that fell down his back, and dark eyes staring at everyone as if he were watching a movie and not in the middle of a combat zone.

Todoroki decidedly hung back, watching the mayhem with caution. With the teachers here, and with all of this fog, there was little he could do other than get in the way. So, he rested behind a tree just to the edge of it all, his eyes never once leaving the villain before him. He noted that he seemed to be glancing over each person who entered the area, noting too late that an easy smirk had twisted his features as another loud explosion rang out around them.

A villain was advancing on Bakugo expertly maneuvering him deeper into the fog. The villain dodging each attack and leading the chase through, until they were near the center right in Todoroki's line of sight. He straightened up, raising his right hand to prepare to put up a defense wall between the two, when he noticed the villain smirk and turn tail.

"Hey bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Bakugo yelled after. Todoroki tensed as the villain he had been watching sauntered forward, obviously saying something because Bakugo had turned his attention towards him and was practically shaking with rage. Todoroki lowered his hand in aggravation. No way he'd get his ice through this way, he'd end up piercing straight through Bakugo.

So, he did the only thing he could do, and as the villain raised a hand toward Bakugo Todoroki grit his teeth, and rushed forward at the same time that another explosion shot off. A sudden surge of wind dispersed the explosion just as it should have blown up in the villain's face as well as the tornado of fire that had lunged for him.

It couldn't have taken longer than a few seconds, but it played out in front of him in slow motion. The flames from both explosion and fire were pulled apart, and in their wake was a swirling vortex. The villain was standing calmly in the center of it all, that same lazy smirk across his face. He heard Bakugo growl, heard the sound of multiple voices calling after them as if through water. Then, the world quite literally blinked out of existence.

_Notes: _

_All sentences in italics followed by * are direct quotes from the anime/manga and therefore I take no credit for them. I do not own bnha, or any of the characters. _

_Sorry if this chapter is boring...it's mostly meant to serve as a starting point, and I promise it gets more exciting! This fanfiction is already completed, so you have my guarantee it won't just be dropped midway. :) All I am really doing at this point will be editing each chapter before posting it. I hope to have updates posted weekly on Fridays. Since this is just the prologue I will also post the technical first chapter this Friday! _

_Since it's already written out, not much will be changed plot wise, but if there's ever a scene you want a different POV for, or you have questions I can always edit it to reflect something that wasn't made clear enough. Like all authors, I implore you to leave me a comment. It lets me know how I am doing, and overall makes all the effort I put into this piece worth it._

_Feel free to follow me/contact me on tumblr/twitter at wrylyghoast. Links are also in my bio. I always love interacting with my fellow tododeku shippers! 3 Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!_

_Title for this fanfic based on this quote: "Pain is a pesky part of being human, I've learned it feels like a stab wound to the heart, something I wish we could all do without, in our lives here. Pain is a sudden hurt that can't be escaped. But then I have also learned that because of pain, I can feel the beauty, tenderness, and freedom of healing. Pain feels like a fast stab wound to the heart. But then healing feels like the wind against your face when you are spreading your wings and flying through the air! We may not have wings growing out of our backs, but healing is the closest thing that will give us that wind against our faces." _

_― __C. JoyBell C._


	2. Strange New Land

It felt like falling for eternity. Wind whipped around him at such high speeds that he was deafened by the sound. His very senses were dulled into nonexistence, and Todoroki fought to keep his eyes open just to retain his sense of reality, but inevitably he lost that war. He had no way to ascertain where he was, or if he was anywhere at all. All he knew, was that wherever he had been dropped into it felt deathly empty, a place where nothing had ever existed, and nothing ever would.

He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment that it stopped. He knew he should by all logic recall falling onto hard ground, or seeing light suddenly bloom around him, but there was nothing. One second he was nowhere, and the next he was on all fours sucking in air as if he had been suffocated, and attempting not to retch from the rolling in his stomach.

Minutes passed as he struggled to composed himself, but they felt meaningless. He could see the white earth beneath his fingers, but the whooshing in his ears had not ceased. He felt more than heard his own panting, his lungs struggling for oxygen as if he had been choked. His fingers twitched against the ground, curling the dusty particles beneath them, but it wasn't until his breathing calmed and his ears finally popped that he had any real resemblance of understanding. Wind blew all around him, whipping his hair into his eyes and chill pierced deep into his bones, causing his freshly awakened nerves to scream.

He stood slowly, and looked around. The air was biting, and he couldn't see much through the snowstorm that raged on around him. Crouching down to test the soil, Todoroki frowned at the lack of snow that had collected upon it. In fact, the ground was warm and dry, as if the water that fell upon it could not even seep into it before it was heated up and sent away in heavy gusts of steam. Wherever this place was, it was unlike anywhere he had ever heard of before.

"This weather is insane." He looked around again, raising an arm to shield his eyes from the onslaught. It was no luck, he would have to find some kind of shelter and try to wait out this storm.

A loud boom caught his attention, the air behind him seeming to pressurize and scatter away. Todoroki turned quickly, raising his right hand in preparation to attack, but lowered it slowly whenever he saw a looming mountain. He caught a glimpse of a small figure at the base of it preparing to send another shattering kick into the mountainside just before the air pressurized once again. The sound echoed in his ears against the whirl of the blizzard that had once again settled between him and the figure.

It was difficult to tell at this distance, but there was no mistaking the patch of green hair. Todoroki raced after the receding figure as Midoriya made his way into the makeshift cave. Todoroki slid into the entrance, skidding to a halt as he saw Midoriya turn on his heel and light with the green lightning that signified he was preparing to use his quirk.

"Midoriya, wait!" He called, taking a step back and preparing to block the hit if it came to that, but luckily it didn't. Midoriya lowered his fist, blinking for a long moment, his eyebrows knitting together as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing was real.

"Todoroki, you're here too? Is anyone else here?" Midoriya came over, placing a hand on Todoroki's bicep attempting to console himself that this wasn't some sort of dream or illusion. Todoroki could feel the frozen gloves through the material of his hero costume, and frowned shuddering at the contact to his left side. His left arm had risen up in goosebumps but the temperature regulator on his back aided in warding off the worst of the weather effects.

"I didn't see anyone, but it is impossible to see anything out there. If anyone else is here though, your blast will signal our location." That also of course meant that they would have to be on guard for anyone who heard it and was not friendly, but Todoroki assumed by the way he had been greeted that Midoriya was already well aware of that. Todoroki raised his left hand, placing it on the shorter teen's forehead, letting some of his warmth seep into the other hoping to help warm him. He relied solely on the natural warmth, he couldn't risk using his flames not with as little control as he had over them.

Midoriya looked up at him with wide eyes at the contact, but his lips slowly transformed into a bright smile. Todoroki assumed that the warmth had to be helping because the flush on Midoriya's cheeks deepened. It wasn't much, but at least it was something.

"Thanks Todoroki. I'm glad you're here with me, I don't think I could have survived this cold in these clothes by myself." Midoriya laughed, and was met with a small smile from Todoroki who set out looking through the small cave that Midoriya had carved into the mountainside. It was no warmer inside of here than it was outside, leaving Todoroki to assume that whatever caused the earth here to be so warm, it didn't apply to the inside of the rocks.

He considered the small area for a moment before setting about creating support beams with his ice all along the walls and ceiling to keep the mountain from becoming unstable. This really wasn't the ideal way to find shelter, but neither of them were up for trekking through a blizzard for an unknown amount of time in a direction they couldn't even see.

Once he was satisfied that it would hold, he settled into a crouch and began warming the flooring in hopes that it would be enough to keep them from shivering. This at least, he didn't have to worry about being careful for, allowing his flames to spread along the base until they glowed a near orange he deemed it good enough.

When Todoroki finally settled back against the rockwall, he saw Midoriya sitting opposite him in the small area. It was only wide enough for Todoroki to be able to lay down flat without hitting both sides of the cave, though from where they sat at the back it was quite a bit longer until the cave entrance. Green eyes were trained outside, watching the snowstorm turning everything into a flurry of white. A frown tugged at Midoriya's lips, and Todoroki wished there was something he could say to ease the other's worries, or at least distract him, but that had never been his strong suit.

"Where do you think we are?" Midoriya's tone was purely a question, holding no hint of the fear that gleamed in his eyes. Wherever they were, it certainly wasn't the Japan that they had left behind. After all, it was currently summer, there was no way that a blizzard like this was happening anywhere on the island nation.

"I don't know." It wasn't any sort of comfort to either of them to have this fact stated, but Midoriya looked at him and gave him a small smile anyways. '_A hero who smiles in the face of adversity. ''All Might...I wanna be like him…''*. _Todoroki watched the other carefully, tracking the emotions that chased each other inside the large green orbs. He couldn't find it in himself to return the smile, though that didn't seem to dissuade Midoriya any.

"Well, it'll be alright. After this storm dies down we will go see if we can find any landmarks nearby, or people to talk to. Once we find out where we are, we can make a plan on how to get home." Todoroki could tell Midoriya was trying to keep his tone light, trying to put all their rescue knowledge into action as they found themselves in a precarious and likely dangerous situation. Console the bystanders, show that you have control over the situation and that there is nothing to fear because the heroes had arrived. Ironic that they always found themselves to be the ones who needed to be rescued.

"Wherever we are, we will find our way back. I am sure if nothing else my father will be looking for me once he finds out." The words left a bitter taste on his tongue, but it at least meant that if they were stranded somewhere that they had someone back home with the money and power to bring them home.

"Right! And I'm sure UA will be trying to get us back as well, whatever that takes!" With how many issues UA was already facing after the previous villain attacks, this would look very bad on the school's reputation. Todoroki doubted they would be able to fully recover from this, even if everyone was found and brought back within a reasonable amount of time. It wasn't something Todoroki had to really concern himself with, since his father would never let him attend a hero course anywhere other than his alma mater, but for other students, students like Midoriya, this could mean giving up on UA for good.

"Yeah." Todoroki stared up at the ceiling, noting the multicolored facets set into the rock. It was beautiful, like colored stars winking at him.

They fell into a comfortable silence, Todoroki zoning out as he considered where they could possibly be and what quirk that villain had to have in order to get them here. It was certainly powerful; they had to be pretty far away from home to experience such a drastic weather change. He didn't realize how long he had spent zoned out until a soft whistling brought him back to his senses, and he looked around for the source of the noise, immediately on guard.

The noise stopped for a moment, every muscle in Todoroki's body tensed and ready for action, the teen already sprung into a crouch. When it came again it was followed by familiar mumbling, and Todoroki had to suppress a laugh. Midoriya had curled up on his side, and had fallen asleep with surprising ease. Green locks had fallen into his face haphazardly, and the smaller boy's lips were parted slightly as he mumbled nonsense in his sleep. The sight was perhaps more shocking than any enemy attack would have been.

That warmth he had come to associate with gentle adoration spread through his chest, and he was glad that no one was around to see the startled blush that had risen up on Todoroki's cheeks. He had never watched someone sleep before, and couldn't help being mesmerized by the rise and fall of the other's chest with even breaths, and the way Midoriya's hand or face would twitch sometimes signalling some sort of dream.

Todoroki finally pulled his eyes away, looking down at his hands for lack of a better place to train them, his mind wandering to what kind of dreams Midoriya might be having. Whatever they were, Todoroki hoped they were pleasant ones; it could be awhile before they got any good sleep again.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who is reading this! This is the shortest chapter in the series. If anything stands out to you, if you have any particular thoughts/feelings about anything I encourage you to leave me a comment. It tells me if this story is worth putting out there, and how I can improve this story as well as other works I do. :) This story has no official beta, if you see anything wrong, please let me know.

If you wish to talk to me, or find out about other stories I am working on, please find me on tumblr:

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and I will see you all next Friday!


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